Britt Nicole - Gold

Pop music has been non-exsisent in the Christian industry. I don't mean CCM/Adult Pop and I don't mean cheap, way too late groups like Plus One who finally made an appearance long after the boy band fad was a big deal. The closest thing to legitimate pop music in Christian music was Amy Grant's Heart in Motion, which was more or less blackballed.

So insert Britt Nicole. I liked her last record, The Lost Get Found, just fine. But the record... Just didn't have a fun vibe. Headphones was fun in a youthful way but overall the record just wasn't anything... extraordinary.

Gold is a great dance pop record. Think a third Katy Perry, a third Kesha, and a third Crystal Lewis. And while I know that doesn't sound very appealing to my average reader, there's a place and time for this music. And if Christian music at some level (whether we agree or disagree) supposed to provide an alternative to the mainstream music culture, don't we need artists and records that sound like what's popular? While I've argued for years about setting the trends and creating art not imitating it, I also see the need to provide alternatives. And Gold is the perfect record for that pop music fan in your life.

The title track kicks off the record and it's sure to get you out of your seat and dancing. The hook is infectious and it was more than enough to keep me listening. All This Time is a really great ballad that comes across with a genuine heartfelt honesty. Look Like Love is more upbeat but doesn't have the dance quality that Gold does. It's a nice balance between the first two tracks.Ready or Not features Lecrae and I was a little skeptical about this track because I'm not a Lecrae fan but the song really works. Amazing Life is my second favorite track on the record. It's a pure dance song that would work extremely well on any pop radio station in America.

There's a great balance on Gold. The songs flow well from one track to the next, each song different from the last. From dance hit, to ballad, to straight forward pop track, there's nothing that will bore you about Gold. It's just a good record and a shot in the arm that Christian pop music desperately needed.

Quick Hits: The Walking Tree - Glorious

The Walking Tree is the latest addition to the Come and Live family. Their debut record, Glorious, is an impressive rock record. Comparisons to My Epic and Sons will be made, there's something different about The Walking Tree. Glorious is an epic rock and roll worship record. The drums are huge and the songs jump out of the speakers. Glorious is a fantastic record and worth checking out for sure.

You can download Glorious for free at comeandlive.com

The Meltdown 71

Old school tracks from Stavesacre, The Juliana Theory, Blindside, and mewithoutYou.

The Meltdown 70

New music from MyChildren MyBride and Lovedrug. Plus tracks from House of Heroes and The Insyderz.

Lovedrug - Wild Blood

Sometimes it only takes 30 seconds to realize the record you're listening to is a hit. The opening riff to Wild Blood had me hooked instantly and by the time the hook to the song came on, I knew I was going to be hitting the repeat button as soon as the song ended.

Ever since Kerith Ravine ended and Michael Shepard started Lovedrug, I've been a fan. Lovedrug has always put out great music but they've never been able to release an album that had it all. Each album has just lacked a certain energy that has kept the band from really breaking through.

But Wild Blood has it. It has that wow factor. It has that something that makes you want to keep listening. It's not magic or voodoo. It's good songs, with great energy and passion that's compelling to listen to.

As stated, Wild Blood kicks off with the title track and it's a great attention grabber. The opening riff draws you in and the hook is so catchy that you can't help but sing along. Dinosaur has a steady groove that's sure to leave a smile and get people dancing. Premonition and Pink Champagne are great rock ballads. Each song plays so beautiful and interestingly into the next. Each song is just as catchy as the last, the hooks slowly working their way into your brain.

Wild Blood is Lovedrug best record yet and my favorite album of the year so far. A great rock and roll album.

MyChildren MyBride - MyChildren MyBride

There are some bands that just don't work for me. MyChildren MyBride has been one of those bands for me. I couldn't even make it through an entire listen of Lost Boys to review it. They're not a bad band. They're just a band that I've had an extremely hard time listening to. It's not my thing. So picking up MCMB's self-titled new record, I wasn't really sure how I was going to make it through the entire album.

In my opinion this is the band's best record. But I had this thought about halfway through the record; MyChildren MyBride was listening to a lot of Korn when they wrote this record. And not in a bad way. MCMB at their quietest would equate to Korn at their heaviest. And I don't mean that this album is full of slap bass and heavily flanged two note guitar riffs. But when God of Nothing comes on, the Korn influence is unmistakable. The riff that opens The Endless has that nu-metal vibe without veering completely in that direction.

And that's what makes this record an enjoyable listen. MCMB does a lot of different things that take them out of the realm of being just another metalcore/deathcore band. The band isn't breaking new ground but it's a subtle shift in their music that takes the band from average metalcore act to band people should check out.

A solid record all around. I think fans of MCMB will still love this record but there's enough of a shift that people like myself will find this record enjoyable.

Impending Doom - Baptized In Filth

Impending Doom was a band that I didn't care for. Their first two records were just more death metal that I didn't really need in my collection. But There Will Be Violence was different. It made me a fan of Impending Doom. The album was strong and was the band stepping up and out of their comfort zone and putting together a killer record. The more I listened to it, the more it grew on me.

The problem with loving There Will Be Violence so much is it meant my expectations for Baptized In Filth were pretty high. And Baptized In Filth just doesn't do it for me. Sure, the album's heavy and has a lot of the diversity that helped make There Will Be Violence such an improved listened experience.

But Baptized In Filth is missing the warmth that There Will Be Violence had. The record is so over-processed and compressed to death, that the life is stripped right out of the songs. The constant blast beats hit at an almost comical note where it sounds like one is listening to a slot machine emptying it's coins.

Reeve's vocals sound great and the songs are well written and at times extremely interesting. I love My Light Unseen, a ballad that features Ryan Clark from Demon Hunter. But that's the only standout song to me. Even the artwork doesn't click for me.

Modern metal fans will probably like this record a lot more then I did. It's not a bad record but it just doesn't connect with me.

The Meltdown 69

New music from Mxpx, Demon Hunter, Fireflight, and the OC Supertones!

See The Light - Tepid

See The Light's debut ep Maranatha was a little... Disjointed? Unfocused? It wasn't a bad ep, it was just a little hard to stay with.

Tepid is more focus and streamlined. It flows much nicer than Maranatha. The guitars aren't super djent with crazy breakdowns. Gone are the random mid-song keyboard solo. It's a much cleaner metalcore record. The problem with Tepid is because you lose all those little quirks that made Maranatha a little scattered, it quickly becomes a boring one note metalcore record. Lifeless, Decay, and Drench kick off the record on a really solid note but after Disconnect_The Desirable, a spoken word piece, the album tails off a little. Malcontent is still solid but after that I find myself becoming disinterested. The songs aren't bad but I feel like I'm listening to the same song over and over again.

Tepid is step up for See The Light. The songwriting is solid and it's a good album. But I'm not into metalcore enough for the album to hold my interest the entire time.

Fireflight - Now

I've never heard a Fireflight I didn't like. Every single I've heard, every video I've ever seen, the songs have always been quality. But it's never been enough for me to pick up one of their records. Not a personal hang up, just have never felt compelled, no matter how much I liked their music, to grab an album.

So why Now? I don't really have an answer. I'm a sucker for female fronted hard rock and Fireflight does it well. Now plays short. The record clocks in at 36 minutes long and I find myself wanting more when the record ends. As always, the albums lead single Stay Close is super catchy and an all around fun track. The vocal play between Dawn Michelle and Justin Cox on tracks like Ignite and Escape is perfect. Fireflight balances hard rock tracks and ballads probably better than any of their counterparts. At times Now reminds me of a slightly heavier version of Plumb. The balance of full on rock songs and ballads is perfect. The album doesn't get stale of boring.

Fireflight might not be breaking new ground with Now but they do what they do well. If you're looking for solid rock, Now is an album to check out.

The Meltdown 68

New music from Sent By Ravens, Kiros, I The Breather and more.

Kiros - Lay Your Weapons Down

Aint No Grave Records have assembled a pretty impressive line-up of heavy bands. Sleeping Giant, The Great Commission, As Hell Retreats. Pretty solid line-up. The latest addition to the ANGR Family, Kiros, looks like they fit the bill but the Canadian rock quartet will throw listeners for a loop.

Lay Your Weapons Down is a little hit or miss for me. And maybe that's because I came in with the wrong perception of what I might hear. I knew it wasn't going to be a metal record but my hope was that I was going to at least get an ear splitting rock and roll record. But that's not the kind of band Kiros is. Kiros would fit just as nicely on a label like Forefront or BEC and that's not what I was expecting from a band on ANGR.

The album starts off strong. Broken State is my favorite song on the album and is just a killer rock song. One Thing, Outlaws & Prodigals, and Unshaken are solid tracks and it's a great start for Lay Your Weapons Down. But then the record loses me a little. What Can Stop Me Now, Passing Through, Found Me, and Something Beautiful all play on an adult/soft rock style. It's not bad but it's just not very interesting.

Maybe my expectations are keeping me from truly enjoying this record. There are some solid rock songs but as I whole I just couldn't really get into it.

I, The Breather - Truth and Purpose

I caught I, The Breather at Scream the Prayer last summer and was impressed enough to download These Are My Sins but not impressed enough to actually ever really listen to the record. Forgiven is a killer track but I never spent much time with the band. So outside of another metalcore record, I wasn't sure what to expect from Truth and Purpose.

Truth and Purpose is a pretty solid metalcore record. I, The Breather actually takes a pretty solid page out of fellow Marylanders, Darkest Hour. Just solid, heavy metalcore. I, The Breather doesn't waste a lot of time wit clean vocals (which I love). The music isn't a formula that's been overused to death in the genre.

What strikes me most about Truth and Purposes is the lyrically integrity that I, The Breather brings. It's easy for bands to veil their lyrics but I, The Breather doesn't. It's not overtly preachy but they don't back down from what they have to say and I respect that.

A solid metalcore record that avoids the pitfalls and formulas that overrun the genre. I, The Breather shows a lot of growth on their sophomore record.

Quick Hits: Home Is Calling - Evening Lights/Reality LA - Hymns

In my opinion Come and Live Records is releasing the best and most original worship music to date. Musically or lyrically, the bands on Come and Live are creating new songs that are going largely unnoticed in the general worship music scene.

Home Is Calling's C&L debut Evening Lights is a beautifully honest worship record. While musically, Home Is Calling isn't breaking super new ground, lyrically the band is offering real genuine expressions of worship and praise. Seasons is a killer song. Great record.

Reality LA's new ep Hymns hits on a more original note. A great mixture of well put together arrangements, new lyrics blended with classic hymns.

Both records are available as free downloads at Come and Live's website and both are worth adding to your collection.